The Thredbo landslide occurred at 11:40pm on 30 July 1997. Part of a road embankment slid down the steep hillside into the ski resort village of Thredbo, in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales. Approximately 2,000 cubic metres of rock shifted below the Alpine Way.
The landslide pushed Carinya Lodge off its foundations onto Bimbadeen Lodge at high speed, burying the 19 victims under metres of rubble. The harsh environment, as well as the steep incline of the hill and instability of the land, all made the rescue operations difficult.
Eighteen bodies were recovered and one survivor was rescued from under debris more than 60 hours later. Subsequent investigation found the cause of the landslide to be a leakage from the water main leading to the saturation of the fill embankment on the road.